How very good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity” Psalm 133:1-3
Many people who know me will most likely tell me that I travel a lot. A few weeks ago, I set on to another country that I was planning to visit a few years ago but had to cancel several times. But as the saying goes, there is a time for everything. Lo and behold, I and Caselyn (my sister in our lay group) set foot in Indonesia where Bali and the famous temples Prambanan and Borobodur are located. Let’s not forget the amazing food where Nasi Goreng (fried rice) comes from.
Indonesia has a diverse culture and religion where Islam is the predominant religion. It is remarkable to see different religions coexist together in one place. There is a big Mosque located in front of a Cathedral and another one is a Catholic Church a few blocks away from a huge Buddhist Temple. We felt peace as we witness the people freely go to their respective houses of worship without any conflicts and respect each other’s religious practices. We were also surprised that anyone can visit the mosque irrespective of religion.
Sometimes people carry different stereotypes when visiting different places. I too have a few in mind. However, setting them aside, I let myself dip into the culture to fully experience and be united with the people around me. We roamed the streets of Jakarta and Yogyakarta day and night feeling safe and at peace. Caselyn fully immersed herself in trying to communicate with her few words of Bahasa Indonesia establishing a good connection with the locals.
There was one occasion when we wanted to visit the Cathedral and we had to take the train. Being a traveler that heavily relies on google maps, I mistakenly thought train means MRT. We bought our train tickets and headed to the platform with the thought that we just need to find the correct side where to hop on. Surprisingly, there were 3 trains parked and I was completely lost about what to take since there were no signs. It took only a few minutes when a girl wearing a hijab approached us and asked where we are going. We told her the station we will go to and she told us to go with her. Three of us traveled together and along the way, we introduced ourselves. That Muslim girl is being Jesus at that moment. It was a moment of grace and God reminded me that His love knows no boundaries regardless of race and religion. It is easy to love when it is familiar, but God is challenging us to love too when it is not familiar. It was an amazing encounter because back at home if that same situation happens, there will be some hesitation on my end. Will I approach her? Or will I just step back? How can I be united with my brothers and sisters when I keep on being indifferent?
I can recall our few encounters, the vendors in Malioboro Street who we ended up teaching Tagalog words, the Indonesian Xaverian Lay group with whom we wished we could spend more time chatting, and the new teacher at our friend’s school who became our friend too. Indeed, the only way to overcome any hesitation and indifference is to communicate and love the person. Expressing yourself doesn’t only mean expressing it through words but it can also be through your actions. In our case, with the little Bahasa Indonesia that we knew, combined with our smile and hand gestures we were able to communicate and connect with the people around us. Truly, “How very good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity” Psalm 133:1-3
